Week 3 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em

We're starting to get out of the awkward early phase of the season and we can start to take account of what is real and what isn't. Some early flashes have fizzled out -- Say "Hi," Vitor Faverani -- and other slow starters are rounding into form.

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Still, with most teams having played just five or six games as of Saturday, we're dealing with incredibly small overall sample sizes as we try to determine how the season will unfold. When 19 teams are allowing fewer points per game than the famously stingy Grizzlies, that should be a dead giveaway that we're still in a pretty precarious position when it comes to trying to analyze what has happened so far.

I'm still going to put more stock in my expectations for the season than what has happened so far, because the sample size is small. Having said that, I freely acknowledge that the more information we get, the more we can rely on what has happened in the 2013-14 season. For instance, we've seen enough from most teams to get a feel for how they are defending or what kind of style they are playing; that means I can start determining strength of schedule by points allowed this season, instead of last.

The schedule for Week 3 (Nov. 11-17) is pretty balanced, with only the Suns slated to play fewer than three times. Matchups matter less when the schedule is balanced like this, as you can generally roll out your best players without worrying about a lack of playing time.

Coach Mike Budenholzer has done a good job balancing the team's rotation early this season, which bodes well for his team's chances of staying fresh as the season moves on. Unfortunately, on a team that is not exactly stocked with Fantasy studs, that isn't the best thing for our purposes here. The Hawks have four players worth starting, and it is really slim pickings beyond that -- we'd sure love to see guys like Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap get closer to the 36-minute mark every night. Don't be fooled by the lofty ranking of this week's opponents -- Charlotte and New York's defenses seem primed for let downs and the Hawks will take advantage.

Boston Celtics

The Vitor Faverani era seems to have come to an end after just a few solid performances, as the Celtics have gone away from him in recent games. I still think he can scrape his way to a decent role in the team's rotation if he can protect the rim, but he is clearly not a starting Fantasy option. Which means this team doesn't have much to offer for Fantasy purposes right now. Even with four matchups against teams that profile as below-average defenses over the course of the season, it is difficult to consider anyone beyond Jeff Green a reliable option.

Brooklyn Nets

Here is the problem with the Nets from a Fantasy perspective, perfectly encapsulated in one player's role on the team. Center Brook Lopez is clearly the team's best player right now, and it probably isn't close, and even he hasn't been able to get more than 30 minutes per game. The Nets' rotation goes 11 players deep on most nights, with nine players averaging at least 18 minutes per game. Despite the big names up and down the roster, this is a tough team to rely on, especially with only three games on the schedule. Given Deron Williams' startlingly slow start to the season, Brook Lopez is probably the only player you can feel completely confident in with three games on the way -- of course, Williams is still too talented to consider sitting.

Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats might have Al Jefferson's services for the start of this week, but his ankle injury has lingered long enough that we can't rely on him getting back on the court until it actually happens. If you have to set your lineup by Monday and don't have any better options, it might be worth rolling the dice on Jefferson's upside, while hoping he plays at least three times this week. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is starting to find himself on the offensive side of the floor, but I still need to see more from him before I move him into the next tier -- he started last season well before collapsing after the first few months.

Chicago Bulls

Look, I get the frustration with Rose. He enters Friday's game with more field-goal attempts than points, not to mention more turnovers than assists. But, this was a guy you likely took among the first 15 players in you draft.What are you gonna do, bench him? No way. This week's schedule is tough, but you still have to keep early disappointments like Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose active, no matter how much it might hurt right now -- their upside is too great

Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving's dreadful start comes as a big surprise, but his struggles actually go back to the second half of last season. We didn't pay it much mind, but Irving shot just 41.5 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from three-point range in 17 games after the All-Star break last season, but maybe we should have. If I was to bet, however, I would still point to this being an aberration -- Irving's overall production in two seasons makes me think he will figure it out before long. The Cavaliers' offense has been a disaster overall, but you have to expect a teamwide regression to the mean at some point. Week 3 could be a good opportunity, as Chicago projects to be the only above-average defense they face. Your disappointing Cavs could begin living up to expectations this week.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks offense continues to hum, which has worked out very well for anyone who owns their main players. Jae Crowder has been a pleasant surprise so far, pouring in 10.5 points per game with sterling shooting percentages across the board, but Fantasy owners have to be wondering how long this can last. With just three games on the schedule for Week 3, I wouldn't consider him a worthy starting option yet.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets have a lot of things to figure out under new coach Brian Shaw, and you might want to stay away from them until that happens. This is a team running with a 12-deep rotation, and only Ty Lawson is averaging more than 30 minutes per game as a result. The expected return of Wilson Chandler should settle things down a bit, providing a true second option for the offense. Unfortunately, his extended layoff from a hamstring injury still makes him a risk for this week. I'm still staying away from this team until they figure out an identity and consistent rotation.

Detroit Pistons

Despite this team's well-documented offensive flaws -- spacing issues, Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith's shot selection, Andre Drummond's free-throw shooting -- they have looked something like a strong offensive team through their first five games. Whether that is sustainable or not will be an ongoing concern, but for now, it has led to a pretty solid group of Fantasy options here. Curiously, Drummond has not quite been the breakout candidate everyone expected so far and the culprit is easy to spot -- he simply isn't going to the free-throw line. Drummond might noe be able to hit his free throws, but he has to get to the line more often to be an efficient scorer. As things stand right now, he is clearly behind the top tier of centers early in the season.

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry's ankle issue is the biggest question for the Warriors, but that's a pretty simple situation for Fantasy owners -- when Curry plays, he's a must-start. Harrison Barnes came out strong in his first game back from a foot injury this week, but his second showed why I am skeptical of his Fantasy value. Barnes played just 35 minutes in his first two games, and scored just five points in the second, after opening his season with 14 on 6 of 8 shooting. I'm simply not convinced he is going to have a consistent enough role with Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson around to put up better numbers than his rookie season, especially since coach Mark Jackson seems hesitant to play Barnes anywhere but small forward. Of the 13 lineup combinations Barnes has played in entering play Saturday, all have featured at least two other big men beside him. As long as he remains stuck in his current role Barnes shouldn't be starting in most leagues.

Houston Rockets

Despite concerns that the addition of Dwight Howard might slow their frenetic pace, the Rockets are still running plenty in the early going. That is a good sign for this team's Fantasy prospects, though one player who hasn't benefitted has been Patrick Beverley. Though he came back quicker than expected from an injury and is a consistent starter, the second-year guard hasn't quite found his footing. Though he starts over Jeremy Lin, Lin has clearly been the more productive player. This is a pretty soft schedule for the Rockets, but Beverley needs to show more than he has so far before you get him in the starting lineup. He is a candidate to start hitting the waiver wires soon, if he doesn't turn things around.

Though they don't rank as high as expected, Memphis and Chicago should provide pretty sturdy tests for the Pacers offensively this week. With just three games on the schedule, this might be a chance to sit some of the mid-tier Pacers. Unfortunately, the only candidate right now might be George Hill, who is scoring well, but has ceded enough of the playmaking duties to Lance Stephenson and Paul George that his Fantasy value has taken a hit. I might consider sitting him in the presence of better looking choices this week.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have always been a high-flying offense, but they're adding some horizontal prowess to their vertical skills this season. Under coach Vinny Del Negro, the Clippers were among the league's plod-iest teams, routinely ranking at or near the bottom-10 in pace. Coach Doc Rivers has embraced a more fluid offensive style, and they now rank 10th in the league at 98 possessions per game. Three of the Clippers' opponents for Week 3 are playing at a faster-than-average pace so far, which means they could be in line for some shootouts. Expect big things from your Clippers this week.

Los Angeles Lakers

This Lakers team seems to have a different leading scorer every night, and the problem so far is that nobody has really stepped up as a consistent contributor. Even Pau Gasol, who we expected to anchor this team offensively, is averaging just 12.0 points in 27.9 minutes per game. He is still getting enough touches that you can't consider benching him, but I would approach every other player on the roster on a case-by-case basis. Even with a really solid week of matchups on the way, there's not a single player behind Gasol I can recommend starting across the board.

Memphis Grizzlies

Mike Conley is probably the only player for the Grizzlies who has exceeded expectations through the first two weeks of the season. This team continues to receive little help from the role players and they aren't strong enough offensively to make up for their sluggish pace, at least when it comes to Fantasy purposes. At this point, even Zach Randolph might not be the must-start option he once was.

Miami Heat

The only surprise for Miami so far has been Mario Chalmers effective playmaking. He is averaging a career-high 5.3 assists per game, to go along with his 2.5 steals and 9.7 points. You can justify starting Chalmers and veteran Ray Allen in category-based formats, even with just three games on the schedule.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are radioactive for Fantasy owners right now. The players who have been surprisingly useful thus far -- Gary Neal, Zaza Pachulia and Nate Wolters -- are mostly playing due to ineffectiveness and injury to starters. Unfortunately, that means they could see their value disappear at a moments' notice. Alternately, those prospective starts who have failed to live up to their promise are too risky to rely on right now. This is a bad situation and I might bench everyone but O.J. Mayo until we see how everything gets sorted out.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Ricky Rubio can't hit a shot, but we knew that going in -- if his slow start has dissuaded you, then you expected the wrong things from him. Just about the only truly disappointing aspect of the Timberwolves' start so far has been Nikola Pekovic, who is shooting just 39.7 percent from the field. With the kind of spacing this team has around Pek, expect him to easily turn things around. He remains worth starting as a No. 2 center in Week 3, especially with four chances to find himself.

New Orleans Pelicans

Anthony Davis has emerged as one of the league's better Fantasy options early in his second season, but the rest of the Pelicans are still trying to find their footing. Tyreke Evans has struggled enough to open the season that his minutes have been limited to just 24.8 per game. At this point, you can't rely on him in your starting lineup.

New York Knicks

I begrudgingly moved Andrea Bargnani up a tier, as he is now the team's starting center following Tyson Chandler's leg injury. I say begrudgingly because, while Bargnani did score 25 points in his first start at center, he needed 25 shots to get there. This is not a player who can score efficiently, and he does little besides score. I certainly don't expect him to score like that moving forward, but he should be decent this week facing some poor defenses. J.R. Smith is also finally worth starting, as his suspension ends Sunday. I would still temper expectations, as he has admitted he is still working his way back from offseason knee surgery and doesn't have his explosiveness back.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The big news out of OKC centers around rookie center Steven Adams, who has already surpassed Kendrick Perkins in terms of minutes per game after five games. He put up a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double Friday against the Pistons that probably has Fantasy owners flocking toward him. I am ready to keep a closer eye on the 20-year-old, but not nearly confident enough in his abilities to say you should start him this week.

Orlando Magic

So far, Arron Afflalo is living up to his promise to be more efficient this season. He is shooting plenty of 3-pointers and getting to the free-throw line a bunch, leading to his career-best 19.5 points per game. With the way he is playing, he has to be considered a nearly must-start Fantasy option. The Magic play just three times this week, but they should have little trouble scoring on these opponents. Lean toward starting our Orlando players if you have a tough lineup decision to make.

Philadelphia 76ers

Michael Carter-Williams' shooting percentages have tumbled back to earth after a hot start, and I'd expect Evan Turner's to follow suit. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be starting either player. However, Philadelphia's fast pace lends itself to solid all-around numbers for stat-sheet stuffers like them. The 76ers are running like mad this season and three of their Week 3 opponents play into their game plan by featuring above-average pace factors as well. Expect even more shootouts from this 76ers team.

Phoenix Suns

I have pretty publicly doubted Markieff Morris' Fantays potential this season, mostly based on the fact that he simply wasn't particularly good at anything through his first two seasons in the league. Given his recent play (averaging 16.0 points per game on the season), a mea culpa is in order. Morris appears to be well worth owning for Fantasy purposes, though you shouldn't just run to get him in your starting lineup right away -- unfortunately, the Suns play just twice this week.

Portland Trail Blazers

This Trail Blazers team remains one of the league's most top-heavy, as the top four players have attempted 68.3 percent of the field goals so far. That's a great sign if you own Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews, who are all nearly must-start options at this point. Unfortunately, that leaves little else worth staring, even given four games on the schedule.

Sacramento Kings

New coach Mike Malone has made a point of slowing the Kings' pace this season, after they played an almost reckless style in recent years. That hasn't put a dent in either DeMarcus Cousins or Isaiah Thomas' production, as both are registering usage rates far above their career norms. Unfortunately, that combination of factors hasn't left much room for other players to succeed. With only three games on the schedule, all against teams that like to play at a slow pace, this is bad week to expect much from the Kings' role players.

San Antonio Spurs

Boris Diaw has been a pleansant surprise for the Spurs this season, as he is averaging 10.7 points on 9.8 field-goal attempts through the first six games. He has even been in the starting lineup a few times, though that does not seem to be a consistent feature for the team. He is a solid role player, but has scored in double figures just once since opening the season with 14 points in three straight games. With four games on the schedule, you might want to look Diaw's way, but he simply doesn't do enough to be worth a starting role.

Toronto Raptors

It would be fun to see what the rest of this team's roster could do if Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan weren't jacking up nearly 36 shots per game between them. Unfortunately, guys like Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas have to settle for secondary roles on offense. On the plus side, few players are in a better place for oodles of offensive rebounds. The Raptors' starting lineup remains useful, but there isn't much else here against a schedule that is tougher than that ranking indicates.

Utah Jazz

This Jazz team pretty badly needs Trey Burke to make his debut. The rookie may not have a track record of NBA success, but at least he gives them some hope. Hope that a guard can hit an open shot and set up a teammate for another. Derrick Favors is clearly in need of a reliable pick and roll partner, as he remains mostly incapable of creating good looks for himself. I'm dropping him down a tier this week, as he continues to shoot a very low percentage for a big man.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards have struggled to get anything going from the perimeter, as John Wall, Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza are shooting just a combined 39.1 percent on 47 field-goal attempts per game. That trio might be frustrating Fantasy owners right now, but there's really not anything you can do but wait for their shots to start falling. You can consider sitting Ariza this week, with just three games on the schedule, as his scoring and shooting have fallen off following a strong season opener.

The Kings voided the one-year, $1.5 million contract the two sides agreed to after Mbah a Moute failed a physical over concerns with his right shoulder. Mbah a Moute has been cleared to participate in an NBA exhibition game in Africa on Saturday.

"We have been informed Jordan was arrested for allegedly reckless driving in Atlanta, Georgia," Pacers president Larry Bird said in a statement. "It is obvious we don't condone this. We will address this with Jordan. This is a major concern of safety, not just for Jordan, but for others."

(7/31/2015)The Warriors acquired forward Jason Thompson from the 76ers in exchange for forward Gerald Wallace, the Warriors announced Friday. The Warriors also sent the Sixers cash and draft considerations in the deal.

Thompson averaged 6.1 points and 6.5 rebounds in 81 games last season, while Wallace averaged 1.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in 32 games.